Module Learning Objectives

Compile a comprehensive list of synonyms/antonyms, abbreviations, alternate spellings, trade/generic names, and related terms
Apply comprehensive search tips to applicable search terms
Apply search filters, if applicable

Building a Comprehensive Search

Once you have a list of search words, use the tips below to improve your search. Think of this as a checklist to help you build a complete and thorough search.

Truncation (*)	Used to find variant endings that come from a common root word. EG. Child* = child, child's, children, childhood. EG. Autis* = autism, autistic Be careful applying truncation to very short root words (usually three letters or less) as there is usually a huge number of variable endings, some of which may not be relevant. For example: EG. Cat* = cat, cats, cataract, catalyst, catch, catastrophe, etc. EG. Intern* = intern, interns, international, internal, internalized, etc.
Alternative spellings	Usually American vs Canadian spelling. For comprehensiveness, both should be included in your search EG. Optimise vs optimize, behaviour vs behavior
Abbreviations	While you should always include the fully spelled out version of terms, it is sometimes appropriate to include common abbreviations. EG. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease = COPD Be cautious when using abbreviations that can be used in a few different contexts. EG. ED = Emergency Department or Eating Disorder or Erectile Dysfunction Note: Truncating abbreviations rarely works well. If your abbreviation can be expressed in the singular or plural, you are better to conduct individual searches for both options EG. ICU or ICUs, not ICU*
Synonyms	Think of direct synonyms, subtypes/examples, methods, etc. to really make your search comprehensive EG. Cancer, neoplasms, tumor, sarcoma, malignancy, etc. EG. "Mental health", "psychiatric illness", depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.
Antonyms	These are words that are opposite in meaning to one another. We want to get a complete picture, not just a negative or positive perspective of our problem, so we need to search for all perspectives EG. barriers/facilitators, success/failure, increase/decrease
Trade names/Generic names	Common with drugs and medical devices EG. Tylenol or acetaminophen or paracetemol
Subject headings	These work like tags to identify the main concepts reflected in an article. Different databases use different subject headings (EG MEDLINE uses Medical Subject Headings, MeSH). Subject headings are covered more in depth in our module on Running A Search in Medline.

Generating all of the necessary vocabulary for your search strategy will take time, don't feel the pressure to rush this process.

Search Filters

For broad or tricky topics, experts have already created ready-to-use lists of search terms. These lists are called "search filters" or "hedges" - the University of Alberta Library has a large collection of filters for you to use.

Watch the video below to learn how to find pre-built filters and learn how to use them:

Key Resources

Health Sciences Search Filters Guide (University of Alberta Library)